As the digital economy continues to evolve, some of the traditional methods of marketing used by accountancy businesses are often no longer as effective. While local print advertising, self-referrals (e.g. walk-ins) word-of-mouth referrals, and networking events are still valuable sources of business for many accountants, it is also important for forward-looking businesses to establish a strong online presence in order to widen their base of potential clients.
An effective way of achieving this is to create an asset base of high-value digital content to showcase the experience and services of your business, and to answer the questions that new customers would traditionally come to an accountant with. Prospects may not drop into your office or pick up the phone to answer these questions any more, but you can still answer them through various types of digital content that they will search for online.
In this article, we will look at three key types of digital asset – blogs, e-books/guides, and webinars – that can be utilised by your accountancy business to generate more leads and cultivate trust with customers.
1. Blog articles: Establishing Your Business’s Authority And Building Trust
Blogs are an essential tool for accountants to establish themselves as thought leaders in their field and local market. Almost as old as the Internet itself – the term ‘web log’ first appeared in December 1997 – a value-based and regularly updated blog remains the key to high search visibility and lead generation online. But let’s be clear, it isn’t the blog itself that’s important, but the articles you publish on it.
Many, if not most, accountants have a blog attached to their business website, but in many cases, this is little more than an occasional company bulletin board. For your content to gain the attention of the search engines and your target customers, you will need to publish regular, well researched, and informed blog posts to demonstrate your expertise in various areas.
Blog articles are a great way of addressing common queries that customers have about tax issues, business admin, pensions, exit planning, bookkeeping and other matters, increasing your search visibility for critical ‘awareness level’ keywords. Blogs also give you a platform to convey important news and express opinions on events that are relevant to your market, such as the impact of government manifestoes and statutory decisions, or changes in accounting regulations.
Creating a broad base of content that covers different areas demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of your industry, and makes your business a reliable source of information. Blog articles also give you a channel for two-way communication with readers through comments and social media shares. This gives you the opportunity to engage with potential clients, answer their questions, and address any concerns they may have. Fostering a dialogue in this way helps to cultivate relationships and establish trust, making it more likely for prospects to consider your business for their accountancy needs.
2. E-books: In-Depth Knowledge And Lead Generation
E-books or downloadable guides are another valuable tool in your content portfolio that you can use to educate potential clients. Unlike blog articles, which are usually short and provide only a surface introduction to a topic, e-books allow a more in-depth exploration of a specific pain point or topic. This gives readers a better understanding of the subject matter and positions your company as an expert in the field.
Most businesses publish their e-books as gated content, meaning they require readers to provide a name and some basic contact information (usually an email) before accessing it. This gives you a golden opportunity for lead generation – collecting email addresses or phone numbers of potential customers who have shown an interest in your content. You will also know something about what they’re interested in. For example, you’ll know that someone who downloads a copy of your Guide For Start-Up Businesses And Entrepreneurs is likely to be interested in your business set up service, and possibly bookkeeping and tax advice, too. Armed with this information, you can further nurture these leads through personalised email marketing campaigns, or follow-up phone calls.
3. Webinars: Interactive And Personalised Education
Webinars are real-time online video events through which your business can present information, deliver workshops, or host question-and-answer discussions with potential customers. As training and marketing tools, webinars can also be recorded for use as educational material, sent within email marketing campaigns, or even used as gated content. This extends the life of your content and helps it to reach people who couldn’t attend live.
There are various ways that accountancy businesses can use webinars, including live Q&A sessions in which attendees can field specific questions. These can be timed around key events, such as the Autumn Budget, to maximise exposure and engagement. Some businesses also invite industry experts or stakeholders to co-host webinars, conduct interviews, or deliver workshops. If your business offers accounting software or tools, you can also use webinars to demonstrate the features and benefits, showing how they can solve customer problems.
Developing A Content Strategy
It’s important not to underestimate the power of content as a marketing tool. By consistently investing in high value content, you can attract more of your target customers, lower your acquisition costs, and ultimately grow your business.
To find out more about the long-term benefits of content marketing, how you can use articles, e-books, and webinars to develop and maintain an online presence, and how an experienced agency can help, please contact JDR today by clicking here.
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